Improvement in fifth-wheels and attachments



JACOB SK'EEN, l mprevement in Fifth-Wheels and Attachment...

1155246, Patented May 23,1871

qnnm \m m Wfinasses. v Inventor,

iittiirli%iitirt ,To 'all who" nay concern: ;Be it known' that I, J ooB SKEEN,.Of-M0i1l1d Gity, iu'thepcounty.ofPula stain the Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements injIEifth-Wheels .andwAttachment's; and do hereby declare that the followihgis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing making, a part ot? this specification, jin whichr p 1 Figurel isa top-planviewof my whole device, Figure 2 is a side elevation of thefsame; Figure3 is avertical cross'section on the line x a;

offig.1;' i

Figure 4, a plan view of the under side of the upper part of the .fifthrwheelan'd the block to which it is secured;

Figure 5, atop-plan v attached to it;

i Figure 6, a top-planview of a broken portion of the 'front of the filth-wheeiandthe rear end'of the hounds, showing the construction and method of attachment 5 :ihgure Z, an elevation of the India-rubber spring; an

ljigure 8,}a vertical central cross-section of said spring. P 1 a a v Like letters designate like parts in each figure. The 'objectof my invention 'is the construction of fifth-wheels for heavy vehicles, in such a manner that they shallbe cheap, strong, and-durable, shall be readily adaptedto side halt-springs so as to obviate :the inconvenience attending ,the use of platform springs, and shall becapable of a direct connection to the draft-pole, which may be either a flexible or a stiff pole, as desired; and 4 i My invent-ion consists in the peculiar construction of the globular bearing surfaces of the fifth-wheel; in {the peculiarconstructioncf the bed of the. fifth-wheel and diating arms in the arrangement of the side springs in relation vtosaid' bed; in the combination of the side springs and acentral India-rnbberspring; in theconstrnctionand arrangement of the hounds; in

the combination of the bounds and the lii'thqvheel, and in the means employed for converting a flexible tongue into a stiff tongue, all as more fully hereinafter described and explained. Inthedrawing it 1 A represents a .block, which may be of wood or metal, which issecnred to the under side, of the vehicle directly in line over the front axle.

iew-of the axle and springs ,B of the fifth-wheel, which is cast in one piece, and is a shell of semi-globularform inside and outside, having a flange, or, around its rim. p

p TheLcavity'b of this wheel islglobular at the bottom, the center of which has a small opening, 0, but with J perpendicular walls (1 nearest the rim.

To the under side of said block is secured the top stint this.

JACOB sKEnN, Eon 'MOUND err Y, ILLINOIS.

, friaar ieant b. 115,246, dated may 23, 1871.

lliIIPRO V EI'iIIEN T IN FIFTH-WHEELS Au 0' ATTACHMENTS.

The schedule i'eferred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same;

The bottom or bed G of the fifth-wheel, also cast in one piece, has a central boss or elevation, D, conforming in all respects of shape to the inside of the top I to theends of the springs; and other arms, E, extend from the outsides of said bed diagonally to the front, to which are attached the other ends of the springs. and the hounds.

The springs F are secured at their centers upon the axle G by means of clips H, and at their forward ends are shackled upon eyes f cast upon or otherwise secured to the under side of the arms E, and at their rear ends pass under yokes g, also seemed upon the under side of the arms D, by. means of which said springs have a certain freedom of motion. V Upon the forward part of the bed, and cast with it, is a projection, I, having a rectangular recess, 12-, in it to receive the end of the tongue, if the same is extended into it, for the purpose of having a stiff tongue.-

This projection has also a-vertical opening, i, in it for the purpose of receiving one end of a hook orchain for the purpose of making a stiff tongue.

The underside of the boss D is hollowed out for lightness, as are also other portions of said bed 0 and its arms. 7 g Y The center of the axle is provided with a disk, J,

having a vertical opening, 42', through it and through the block A, wherefit is secured by a suitable nut, Z,

upon its upper threaded end in. This end is made smaller than the remainder of the bolt and provided with shoulders at 'n, which prevent said boltfrom passing up through the boss D.

Upon the front ends of the arms E are shackle-eyes o, to which the hounds M are attached by ears 1).

These hounds are cast all in one piece, with a crossbar, q, braces 1', and body s, which body is'made with a rectangular recess, t, beveled in each'directionlon gitudinally, into which recess the end of the tongue N, correspondingly beveled, is inserted from beneath, and then properly secured.

An opening, a, in the top of thehounds, gives support to one end of the hook O, the other end of said hook being inserted in the 'opening'i before mentioned.

Instead of a book a chain with a hook may be em-' ployed for the purpose.

It is intended to have this fifth-wheel and the bounds cast of malleable iron or of steel, and'the several parts are constructed with a view of casting readily, as well as forcombinin g strength with the least possible weight.

In operation, the pressure will come m'ainly upon the side springs F, but a portion of it will act upon the India-rubber spring, which will serve to equalize the pressure, particularly when the shock is given to one side of the vehicle.

The upper portion of the fifth-wheel will traverse upon the lower portion very readily, having a large extent of bearing, which will serve to keep it steady, the weight resting mainly upon the globular surfaces.

Having thus explained my invention,

What I claim as new therein is 1. In fifth-wheels, the combination of globular bearing surfaces, constructed and arranged substantially as described and shown. g 1

2. In combination with a fifth-wheel, and forming a. part of the same, the arms D and E, constructed and arranged substantially as describedand shown.

3. The combination of the fifth-wheel 0, constructed as described, and the side springs 1 constructed, attached, and arranged substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the side springs F and the India-rubber spring K, constructed, arranged, and operated substantially as described and shown.

5. The hounds M, cast in one piece, constructed and arranged substantially as described and shown.

6. The combination of the hounds M and the fifthwheel 0, when both are constructed and arrraugcd substantially as described and shown.

7. The combination of the book 0, the bounds M, and the fifth-wheel O, for the purpose of converting a flexible tongue to'a stiff tongue, constructed and arranged substantially as described and shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of April, 1871.

w JACOB SKEEN.

Witnesses:

Gno. S. PRINDLE, EDM. F. BROWN. 

